


God's Lyricist

by CallMeGrace101



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 06:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14711093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeGrace101/pseuds/CallMeGrace101
Summary: Her title was as enigmatic as she was.A girl claiming to be another apprentice of General Cross is found by Allen and Lavi. Allen seems to have known her for years; and yet, neither he nor General Cross mentioned her.There's too many mysteries surrounding this girl.And Lavi is determined to solve them.





	1. Girl on the Train

Lavi and Allen met each other in Komui's office, summoned for a mission briefing. It was early in the morning, even for them. "So, what kind of mission only needs us two?" Lavi asked.

Allen shrugged.

"Dunno. Considering that Akuma are on the rise, I thought the Chief would make us a team of three."

The two boys sat on the couch, staring around the massive office. Timcanpy flitted around for a while, then landed on Allen's shoulder to nap.

"Ah. Good morning, you two. Thanks for coming on such short notice."

Komui had entered from an adjacent door, carrying a rather sizable stack of papers. It didn't take much for the exorcists to tell that the Chief hadn't slept recently.

"Hey, Chief. So, what have you got in store for us?" Lavi replied casually.

Komui laughed quietly.

"Chipper as always, Lavi. As for the mission..."

He rummaged through the papers for a moment, then handed Allen and Lavi two folders.

"Well, we have reason to believe that an Accommodator is hiding out in the forests of Sweden. They are pretty elusive, so Finders haven't been able to get much information other than their location."

Allen's eyebrows rose, and he shared a curious look with his red haired friend.

"Huh. They must've gotten some pretty good advice on avoiding the public eye."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Well, that's about it. I'll call you through Timcanpy if anything else comes to light. Good luck!"

~~••••~~

Allen and Lavi gathered their respectably meager luggage and reunited on a boat to take them to the train station. While half-listening to Lavi ramble on about his complaints with Bookman, Allen had time to ponder just who the Accommodator might be.

"You zoned out, didn't you, Al?"

The Crown Clown's gaze refocused on the amused look in the bookman's eye.

"Sorry. I'm just really curious who this person is, that's all. It's been so long since we actually had a lead on a possible Accommodator."

Lavi smirked.

"I'll bet you that they're a cute girl."

Allen rolled his eyes.

"You always say that about every mission."

Lavi scoffed in mock offense.

"I do not!"

The silver haired exorcist grinned.

"Sure you don't."

Eventually, Lavi let his friend nod off for a nap.

Meanwhile, he lay on the bench and held a book over his face, attempting to read it.

Allen found his dreams to be particularly uneventful. Not even the creepy shadow of the Fourteenth had come to taunt him with its presence.

All of a sudden, he saw the silhouette of a young girl. Her back was to him, and he could see strange tattoos in the shape of wings on her shoulder blades. She was singing; or so it appeared. He reached out to touch her, but she moved away, and continued to sing.

Her voice sounded so... familiar. Allen knew he'd heard it somewhere before.

All of a sudden, he saw a younger version of himself, standing timidly by someone's hospital bed. Cross Marian was there too, and had sat on the edge of the bed, his hand on the dark haired head of the bed's occupant.

A child.

She faced away from them, her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Someone with a voice as beautiful as yours shouldn't have to live in fear," Cross said, a kind smile on his face.

The younger Allen rolled his eyes.

_Why does Master have to flirt with every girl he sees?_ He thought to himself.

Suddenly, the girl's head rose, staring at Allen's master hopefully.

But before he saw her face, Allen awoke to Lavi shaking his shoulder.

"Al! Wake up, I think we've got company!"

Sure enough, Allen felt his cursed eye being activated. He glanced up at the ceiling--or rather, through it--and spotted four Akuma surrounding their train car. Passengers near them were chattering in surprise, fear, and awe, mesmerized by the peculiar creatures outside. Lavi opened their window and swung out of it, vaulting himself onto the roof of the train.

Allen followed suit, Crown Clown already cloaking him with a shimmering coat of light.

The two exorcists braced themselves on their acquired terrain, which, unfortunately, was still moving. The wind roared around them, making their coattails flap around wildly.

"There's a Level Three, a couple Level Twos, and three Level Ones," Allen counted as he scanned the area. Lavi had drawn out his hammer, and had slung it over his shoulder.

"How the hell are we supposed to fight these things without falling off  the train?!" He exclaimed.

Allen paused for a moment, his eyes frantically searching for something. "I can use Clown Belt to let us get in the air, and still remain tethered onto the train. I think that pipe over there should be strong enough," he shouted in reply.

Lavi grinned.

"Alright! Sounds like a plan, shortstack!"

Allen glared at the junior bookman.

"Don't you start with that!"

But before they could move, everything seemed to freeze in place. The train's movement over the rails slowed, and then ceased entirely.

Someone must have told the conductor that the exorcists were on the roof.

At any rate, it would make their battle against the Akuma easier. A light tap resonated on the train's metal roof, like the sound of a footfall. A slight figure stood before them, masked with a ratty cloak.

They seemed to be looking at Allen.

Allen saw a tear fall down their cheek.

And at that same moment, the Level Three pounced upon the girl.

"NO!" Allen exclaimed. He reached out, trying to stop the Akuma's advance, but found something that stopped him in his tracks.

The girl was not there.

Not in the way that suggested her demise; it was more that she had completely disappeared.

He heard a loud whistle from above. Allen tilted his head skyward to find the girl suspended in _thin air._

No, that wasn't quite right.

He squinted. Twin masses of light had formed behind the girl. They glittered in the sun like polished emeralds.

"Al, am I seeing things, or is that kid flying?!" Lavi exclaimed.

Allen took a second look and confirmed that the lights were indeed wings.

"I guess we found our Accommodator," he replied.

The other Akumas had joined their superior to swarm around the girl like ugly disfigured bees.

"Damn! They've cornered her!" Lavi cursed.

"With the heavens as my witness and the gods as my guides, I invoke thee: Form, Sphere of Solitude!" She declared.

The boys watched in bewilderment as the Akuma were thrown back by a massive shockwave of energy that had emanated from the stranger. A greenish gold sphere had engulfed her, pulsating with power that Allen could sense as clear as day.

He knew this power.

Furthermore, he knew its owner.

"Grace," he whispered in astonishment.

Lavi glanced at his friend, unable to catch the word that Allen had uttered.

"What'd you say?" He asked.

"So she's still alive, even after all this time," Allen smiled in relief, ignoring the Bookman's question.

"Hello, earth to Al, this is Lavi who is completely confused," Lavi said, waving his hand in front of the Clown's face.

Allen blinked, shaken from his reverie. He turned to Lavi, prepared to give a reply.

Just then the girl snarled with anger.

The Akuma were attacking her protective sphere with immense force.

"I didn't think mindless machines could be such pests!" She shouted.

The two boys shared a stunned look, shocked by the malice in her voice.

The strange girl suddenly released a large burst of power from her bubble shield, one that tossed the Akumas back a couple feet or so. She then closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, as if praying.

Her voice resonated through the air with an almost surreal melody. It was like a hymn; but at the same time, so very different.

The Akuma had halted in their attacks. From their position, Lavi and Allen thought that the Akumas seemed to be in a trance.

But Allen knew the truth of the matter.

Golden cracks appeared in their bodies, ones that continued to grow as the girl's song continued. The last vocals of her song rang through the air with a reverberating finality. The Akuma simultaneously exploded, evaporating into dust that was carried away with the returning wind. The sphere vanished, and the girl hesitantly landed upon the roof of the train.

Allen stared at her, and she was looking right back at him.

"Master told me that he didn't know where you'd gone. That you were most likely dead," Allen said.

"Is it...really you? After all these years?"

The girl reached up to the hood of her cloak and slowly removed it from her head. Her short, choppy black hair whipped around in the wind. Her green eyes swam with tears as a small smile rested upon her lips.

"Who else would I be?"

Allen chuckled, grinning at the girl with more happiness than Lavi had seen in his friend for a very long time.

"Well, if you _are_ the Grace I remember, then where's my hug?"

Grace beamed at him tearfully and ran into Allen's awaiting arms, laughing merrily as he danced around, holding her up by the waist. Lavi watched them, smiling amusedly.

"Well, not that I don't find this reunion incredibly touching and all, but we should probably get back on the train. Y'know, keep the passengers from freaking out even more."

The two looked at him. Grace parted from the hug, listening carefully.

"There's another train going back the way you two came. It's a couple miles ahead of the one we're standing on, so if we stay on this roof..."

A train whistle blew in the distance, growing nearer.

"Did you gentlemen bring any luggage?" Grace asked.

"Yes, it should be in our car," Allen told her.

She nodded, and summoned her wings of light.

"Okay. I'll grab it. Holler if you see the train."

Lavi jabbed a finger at Allen. "Al, I think some explanations are in order, don't you?"

The silver haired boy held up his hands.

"Right, right. But I don't think I'm the best person to ask."

The girl returned, toting their bags.

"I may or may not have had to charm your Finder. He'll figure it out sooner or later. At any rate," she handed them their belongings, "we should be getting back. Now that you've found me, I guess I don't have a choice but to join you."

~~••••~~

As they sat down in their new train compartment, Lavi noticed that the girl seemed to gravitate more towards Allen; which was understandable, but all the more perplexing.

"Sorry if I seemed to be ignoring you earlier. I didn't mean anything by it."

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"N-no worries. My name is Grace Blüdhaven. I was also General Cross Marian's apprentice."

The Bookman smiled.

"And I'm Lavi, but most of the higher-ups just call me Junior. By the way, what did you mean when you said you had to charm the Finder?" He asked.

She smiled shyly.

"To answer that, I should probably explain just what my power is. And seeing as you are a Bookman, I suppose I do not need to tell you take notes."

Lavi's eyebrow rose.

He hadn't told her that he was a Bookman.

So how did she know?

"The formal name that my Innocence goes by is the Lyricist of God. That being said, I guess it's pretty obvious where it comes from."

She deftly touched the area over her throat for emphasis.

"My voice in itself is a weapon. Anything that must be spoken has the power to become a tool I can use."

"Huh. So that's how you defeated the Akuma, right? With a song?"

She nodded.

"My power can work on both humans and Akuma. The same can be said for the Noah Clan. To answer your question, let's just say I can be very persuasive."

Lavi chuckled. "I take it you don't reveal all of your secrets?"

"Believe me, Lavi, there are some things about Grace even I don't know."

From there, the three exorcists passed the time chatting, with the occasional break for a snack (or, in Allen's case, a feast).

It was nightfall when they approached the boat that would take them into the depths of the Black Order.

A Finder was waiting for them, and stepped aside to allow the exorcists to climb aboard. Grace held up a hand. "You guys go on. I'm not a fan of small spaces." Her wings illuminated the darkening sky, and she hovered inches from the wooden dock.

She fluttered past a rather bewildered Lavi, and the completely baffled Finder. Allen smiled at her warmly. They watched her as she flew into the tunnel and out of sight.

~~••••~~

Grace slowed down once she'd gained a satisfying distance from the boat. She sighed, staring at the ball of light in her hand that she'd summoned to illuminate the pitch black tunnel.

"I should be happy. Allen's alive, and I get to talk to him again."

Her hand clenched, and the light dimmed.

"And yet, why do I feel like I don't know him anymore?" She whispered, gnawing on her quivering lip.

Suddenly, she spotted a figure on the dock up ahead. At first glance, they didn't look like much, just some dark haired person with a sword. But, as she came closer, Grace could tell that they were clearly a young man, and a sour-faced one at that. He wore a uniform very much like the ones Allen and Lavi had.

He hadn't appeared to have noticed her yet.

She cocked her head, inspecting him curiously.

He had sharp, bright blue eyes, fair skin, and features that she distinctly recognized as Asian.

_What a peculiar guy,_ she thought to herself.

She tried to remember if Allen had mentioned anything about such an individual during their train ride.

There was an exorcist girl named Lenalee, and one named Miranda, and a young boy named Timothy. In addition to those three there was a blind man named Noise Marie, and a vampiric Count named Arystar Krory.

_So he must be..._

Grace swooped down to land on the dock quietly. "Are you waiting for someone, Exorcist Yuu Kanda?"

And the next thing she knew, there was a wickedly sharp katana flirting with the side of Grace's neck.

Slightly ruffled, Grace observed her possible executioner.

His eyes were colder now, scowl set deep on his mouth.

"You have five seconds to explain who the hell you are and how you got in here, kid, or else your body's gonna lose a head."

She blinked at him owlishly.

_Yikes. And I thought_ I _was violent._

"Really? That's all the time I get? And here I thought my death would be excruciatingly drawn out. Such a shame."

He clearly hadn't been expecting that.

Her eyes glowed briefly in the darkness.

"Sheathe your sword and stand down."

As if on puppet strings, Kanda did exactly that.

Grace's eyes returned to normal as she struggled to contain her relief.

"Ah, jeez, Yuu, are you picking on the new girl already?" Lavi called from the newly appeared boat.

Kanda, shaken from his reverie, sharply spun on his heel.

"Shut your mouth, stupid rabbit!" He spat venomously.

Allen climbed out of the boat, throwing a reproachful glare at Kanda before turning to Grace.

"He didn't hurt you, did he, Grace?"

She shrugged.

"Does threatening to decapitate me count?"

Allen growled, facing Kanda once more.

"Is this how it is with you now? You threaten to kill young ladies too?"

Kanda's hand returned to the handle of his sword as he cursed Allen's name with a couple of choice expletives. Grace stepped between them.

"Allen, let him go. Granted, I didn't exactly announce my presence to the world. I caught him off guard, and he reacted. That's all. Right?"

Kanda, obviously miffed at being rendered mute by a girl not even half his size again, rolled his eyes.

Grace took what she could get.

"Let's try this again. Hi everyone, my name is Grace, and I'm an exorcist. It is nice to meet you, Kanda."

He eyed her suspiciously.

"Whatever."

She watched as he walked away, slightly intrigued.

"Well that was... interesting," Grace said after awhile.

"Interesting? I've never seen anyone stand their ground against Yuu before," Lavi mused.

"He really doesn't scare you?"

Grace averted her gaze.

"I've met worse people."

Allen placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, his eyes soft with worry.

Lavi's eyebrow rose at the exchange, but he chose to remain silent.

"We should introduce you to the Chief. It's getting late, and we'd better catch him while he's still somewhat awake," Allen said.

Grace nodded mutely, and allowed Allen to guide her through the labyrinthian halls of the Black Order. Lavi trailed behind them, observing the girl curiously.

She did remind him of the Crown Clown, polite and cheerful in her own right.

And yet, he could sense a bitterness within her, a deep, heavyset internal turmoil.

Her eyes were the brightest of greens, her smiles soft and shy, her laughter quiet and pleasant. She was shorter than Allen, a feat he hadn't imagined possible until now.

He began to notice how often Grace fiddled with something, whether it was a lock of her short ebony hair or the hem of her skirt.

It puzzled the Bookmam how, even as close as she seemed to Allen, she was still anxious to be near him.

From what he could gather, Grace had been a childhood friend of Allen's; not to mention the fact that she had also trained under Cross Marian.

This in being, why didn't anyone know about her?

Granted, General Cross was an elusive man (to say the least).

Shouldn't Allen, as long as Lavi had known him, have mentioned Grace by now? A brief recollection? A bout of nostalgia?

Too many questions rattled Lavi's mind. He'd have to get a second opinion.

Thus, Lavi ducked into the approaching hallway and out of sight, set on finding the old panda most called Bookman.


	2. Meet and Greet

Grace faintly noticed that Lavi had left them, but decided to say nothing. She stopped with Allen at a door as he politely knocked on it.

The door was soon opened by a girl.

She was slightly taller than Allen, and wore glittering red heels with matching hoops around her ankles.

Her eyes were a deep purple, and she had emerald hair pulled up in ribbons.

She was beautiful.

She and Allen exchanged a smile.

"Welcome back, Allen," she said.

Her eyes turned to Grace.

"And you must be the Accomodator he was sent to find. I'm Lenalee, Chief Komui's assistant. It's nice to meet you."

Grace glanced at Allen, who nodded encouragingly. The girl hesitantly took Lenalee's offered hand.

"Grace Blüdhaven. Allen told me about you."

The girls shook hands, and Lenalee stepped aside to allow them to enter. Lenalee faintly noticed how Grace moved closer to Allen as they took their seats on the couch. Timcanpy curled up onto the girl's lap, nipping Grace's fingertips affectionately as she cupped his round golden face.

Allen and Grace watched as Lenalee retreated into the next room, supposedly to wake her slumbering older brother.

The Crown Clown placed his hand over Grace's fidgeting ones.

"It's okay if you're nervous. Komui is a pretty...eccentric guy. But you can trust him, I promise."

She smiled weakly, though she didn't look very reassured.

"He's a lot more likeable than Master," Allen supplied amusedly.

This earned him a smile and a soft laugh. She grasped Allen's hand, relaxing ever so slightly.

Lenalee returned, trying to support a slumped over man.

"Come on, brother, I know you're tired, but you need to stand up! You're too heavy!" Lenalee said.

Without thinking, Grace allowed her Innocence to thrum to life within her throat.

"Wake up," she urged softly.

As if doused in cold water, Komui stood straight, eyes wide and devoid of any traces of drowsiness. Lenalee backed up reflexively, staring at her brother in alarm.

Komui sat in his office chair, appearing rather shaken himself.

"What just happened?" He asked.

Grace's hand flew to her throat. "O-oh! Forgive me, I--"

She cut herself off, shrinking in shame.

Allen watched her for a moment, his eyes questioning.

"How long have you been able to do that?" He gently inquired.

"Do...what?" Lenalee asked.

Grace briefly glanced at the Chinese girl, then back at Allen.

"How do you think I managed to stop your sword wielding colleague from brutally decapitating me?" She said, more to Allen than to the brother and sister.

Komui sat up straight, his eyes sharp.

"Kanda did _what_?" He exclaimed, annoyance rising.

Grace laughed sheepishly.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I'm used to it."

She paused.

"But if you want an answer, the only reason why he didn't lob off my head is because I told him not to."

Komui rested his chin in his hands.

"So, if I'm hearing this correctly, you have the ability to control people's minds?"

She shook her head.

"Not exactly. I can command them to do things, but it is only effective for a limited amount of time. For example, I gave you the command to wake up, Chief Komui. My power has temporarily made you think you are not tired in the slightest, but, sooner or later, it'll wear off and your exhaustion will return."

"That's... incredible," Lenalee murmured.

Grace shrugged dismissively.

"It has its uses. However, it is harder to use on Akuma and the Noah, as Akumas have an artificial will and Noahs are...fickle creatures."

Komui walked over to take her hand gently.

"It is a wonderful gift, at any rate. Is it alright if I perform some tests on your Innocence? They would be perfectly safe. And, at your soonest convenience, of course."

She turned to Allen. He nodded calmly.

"Allen can be right next to you, if you'd prefer."

Grace hesitated, then nodded.

"Okay. Just the tests I'm okay with."

The scientist smiled.

"Of course. Now, you should go off to bed. Unfortunately, we weren't expecting you so soon, so I digress that there isn't a room set up for you right now."

"She can share with me," Allen offered. "I just hope Link will like you."

"Link...?" Grace repeated, confused.

"Very well. Good night."

They turned to leave. Komui reached out to place a light hand on Grace's shoulder.

"Welcome to the Order, by the way. We're glad you could join us."

She smiled shyly. "Thank you. The spell will wear off very soon. I think you should rest too."

He chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

~~••••~~

Meanwhile, Lavi had located his mentor.

"You're back," Bookman stated.

He nodded.

"Old man, I was wondering if you could help me with a side project."

Bookman frowned.

"Side project," he repeated slowly.

Lavi hummed. "The Accommodator Allen and I were sent to find? Turns out they've got history with Allen. Childhood history."

Bookman set down the pen in his hand.

"Go on."

"Her name's Grace Blüdhaven, a half-pint of a girl around Allen's age. From what I gather, she trained under General Cross too. Her Innocence is pretty powerful too, I'm not gonna lie. Makes sense how she caught the General's eye."

Bookman eyed his apprentice.

"I take it that there's a catch to this story?"

Lavi stared at the ground, deep in thought.

"There's no records whatsoever on this girl. She's a blank page in the Order's eyes. And yet, Allen acts around her as if they were brother and sister."

"So he knows her more than he appears to. Allen Walker has his secrets, you know that."

Lavi sighed, lacing his arms behind his head

. "Yeah. It's just a bit weird how he's never mentioned her before. The General never piped up either. Odd, right?"

Bookman scoffed.

"If I allow you to investigate, will you stop rambling?"

The junior Bookman grinned. "That's all I needed to hear."

~~····~~

Grace followed Allen through the halls once more.

They entered a room, one with two beds on each wall.

A fair-haired man not much younger than the Chief sat upon one of them, thumbing through a small book.

"Hey, Link," Allen greeted.

The man looked up, his expression that of barely concealed annoyance.

"Walker. You know that you aren't allowed to go missions unsupervised."

Allen rolled his eyes.

"Well, I wasn't about to waste an hour trying to wake you up, sleeping beauty."

Link closed his book with an irritable snap. He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it, the anger dissipating from his face as he noticed Grace.

"And you are...?"

Grace straightened.

"My name is Grace Blüdhaven. I'm the one Allen was sent out to find."

Link stood, and bowed slightly.

"Forgive me if I came off a bit hostile. I'm Howard Link, acting supervisor of Allen Walker."

Her eyebrow rose.

"Supervisor?"

She frowned.

"Allen..." the girl began slowly.

He recoiled, sensing the anger in her voice.

"When were you going to tell me that Neah came into the picture?"

Allen stuttered, unable to form an answer.

Grace looked away sadly.

"I see that your secret-keeping tendencies haven't gone away," she said quietly.

"Neah?" Link repeated, puzzled. She sat down on the armchair in their room, hugging her arms.

"The Fourteenth, the Pianist, whatever you want to call him, the Noah who is inside Allen has an actual name: Neah Campbell. My Master told me this a long time ago."

Grace glanced at the Crown Clown apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Allen. Master made me swear that I'd keep it a secret. I've known all this time."

She could tell that Allen was mad, but whom at was another matter entirely.

He smiled.

"It's alright. If Master made you do it then I can't really complain."

Allen walked over to his dresser and fished out a bundle of clothes. He handed them to her.

"C'mon. It's late, and you should get to bed. You can borrow some of my clothes for the night."

Grace took the bundle with a slight nod. She went into the adjacent bathroom and closed the door. Link faced Allen, arms crossed.

"You two appear to be very close. How do you know her?"

Allen sat on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh.

"She was also an apprentice of my Master. I've known her ever since we were kids."

The Crow's eyebrows rose.

"If that is true, then how is it Cross Marian never mentioned her? Why are there no official records of her?"

The Crown Clown shrugged dejectedly.

"How should I know? Everyone knows that that worthless Master of mine keeps his secrets closer than his habits."

Link sat on his own bed.

"She seems to have a few secrets of her own. What else can you tell me about her, Allen?"

Grace opened the door. She was now dressed in one of Allen's tank tops and sweatpants, an outfit that hung a bit loosely on her slight frame. However, the getup distinctly showed the muscles under her fair skin.

"For starters, Allen can tell you that I am perfectly capable of speaking for myself, _Link_."

She took a seat next to Allen.

"Master didn't talk about me to any of your people because I specifically told him not to. For the few times I got sick, and when Allen called a doctor, I made sure that they'd never make any records of me. I told them to forget me as soon as I was well again."

Link sat quietly, motionless and stunned.

"I've been keeping under the Order's radar for years, training myself when my Master was absent. All of this to avoid the Earl and his crazy family. I destroyed as little Akuma as possible, and avoided people as much as possible."

Allen appeared distressed by her tale. She dismissively waved the story away.

"On another note, everyone keeps telling me to go to bed, so..."

Allen nodded dazedly.

She awkwardly slid beneath the covers and turned away from them. Allen followed suit, smiling at Link's suspicious glare.

"Calm down. She's a good friend, like a sister. Believe me, she could kill me if I did anything."

"You got that right," Grace murmured sleepily.

Link exhaled shortly, not convinced in the slightest.

And with that, the Crow and the two exorcists turned in for the evening.

~~····~~

Meanwhile, Komui say in his office, finding it much easier to work thanks to Grace's ability.

He heard the door open.

Kanda strode in, clearly unhappy.

"What?" He asked.

Komui offered him a terse smile. "You know exactly why I summoned you here, Kanda."

A moment of silence.

_So far so good,_ Komui thought dryly.

"What exactly did she do that made it necessary to put Mugen at her throat?" The Chief inquired calmly.

Kanda crossed his arms, refusing to reply.

The Chief smiled knowingly.

"Reflex? She caught you off guard and you reacted?"

"Shut up."

Komui suppressed the urge to laugh.

He leaned back in his chair.

"Her name is Grace," Komui said thoughtfully.

"I know it isn't in your best interest, but it might do you well to apologize to the poor girl. You know, for nearly killing her."

Kanda scoffed and turned on his heel, muttering a few colorful curses as he stalked out of the office.

Komui watched the exorcist, a bemused smile playing at his lips.

"Intriguing," he thought aloud, and collapsed on his desk, sound asleep.

~~····~~

Grace was the first to rise the following morning. She shuddered the lingering nightmare off, and glanced down at Allen.

He looked rather peaceful; as peaceful as one could be with the threat of a Noah possessing them.

She smiled sadly, brushing his messy white bangs aside affectionately. He'd grown his hair out; longer than she'd seen him with, but a look that suited him nonetheless.

She nimbly hopped over him and onto the floor.

The Crow had not risen yet. She darted into the bathroom and showered quickly. With a final glance at Allen, Grace snuck out of the room. She wore more of Allen's clothes; this time, it was a simple t-shirt and shorts.

She ventured into the seemingly endless corridors, faintly recalling the path they'd taken the night before.

Allen had said that there was a large dining hall somewhere...

She heard footsteps. A tall, pale man with a large shock of white hair on his temple approached her. The rest of his hair was dark, and drawn back in a neat ponytail. She could see his canines poking out like ivory daggers.

He noticed her at last. Grace shrunk under his eyes, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

"You smell like Allen," he noted.

She flushed darkly. "Y-yes. I am...um...wearing his clothes. That's...why."

Grace stuttered embarrassedly as his eyebrows rose.

"I-it's not like that! I didn't have anything else to wear, and we're around the same size, and he's been my best friend since we were kids and--ignore me please."

She ducked into the collar of the borrowed shirt, mortified.

"Forgive me, young lady. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Grace peeked at the man from between her fingers. He looked just as awkward as she felt. Slowly, Grace uncovered her face and offered her hand to him.

"I'm Grace, by the way. Grace Blüdhaven. I am an exorcist."

He stared at her hand, bewildered.

Slowly, gently, he took it.

"Count Arystar Krory the third. Most here seem to have taken to calling me Krory."

Grace smiled weakly.

"I've never gotten to meet a Count before. I'm not really one for formalities, so you can just call me Grace."

The Count smiled. "Alright. Say, why don't you come have breakfast with us?"

She found herself being ushered along by his hand politely placed at her shoulder.

"Us...?"

They entered a massive space of a dining hall. Finders were scattered around the room, and made up a majority of the population of the place.

Black-clad exorcists gathered around a singular table. They varied in age, though most seemed to be in their youth to mid-adulthood.

Lavi ran up to them, grinning widely.

"Allen's clothes, huh? That's quite a look, half-pint!"

Grace's eye twitched.

Allen had told her about this.

Every exorcist seemed to have been dubbed with a specific nickname.

She pouted.

"That's not my name, _Junior_."

He cringed at her withering glare.

"P-point made. Well, g'morning anyhow. Where's Al and the Crow?"

"The dead sleep lighter than those two do."

He laughed.

"Good. You have a sense of humor. For a second, I thought we'd be given another Yuu."

She sombered at the mention of the cranky swordsman.

"Aw, don't get so down about what happened. Yuu's just really, really bad with people. It wasn't personal."

"You mind repeating that, stupid rabbit?"

Grace spun to find Kanda himself suddenly standing behind them, threateningly tapping his sheathed sword against the back of his shoulder.

Lavi chuckled nervously.

"H-hey, didn't see you come in, Yuu!"

Kanda scowled, but didn't reply.

His icy blue eyes turned to Grace.

She faced him, trying to steel her nerve in order to keep their eyes locked.

"W-what now? Are you going to lob off my head for real this time?"

His grip tightened on the sword.

"Geez. Stop being so dramatic," he grumbled.

He relaxed slightly. "Look. That sister complex of a chief is on my case. He's a persistent bastard, I'll give him that."

Grace crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"Is there a point to this?" She demanded.

"The Chief said I have to apologize, okay?!"

She stared at him, stunned.

"And are you? Are you...apologizing?"

The hall had gone deathly quiet.

He was silent.

But Kanda didn't deny it.

Grace blinked owlishly.

"Okay. Well, then I'm sorry I used my Innocence on you. Is that fair?"

Kanda huffed and strode past her.

"Fine. Whatever."

She nodded and followed him to acquire her own breakfast.

Conversation hesitantly resumed.

Grace stood alongside Kanda. She was tense; what was supposed to happen now?

The cook, Jerry, appeared, and handed him a box with a knowing smile at Kanda.

"Here's the usual. Enjoy!"

Kanda inclined his head to the cook and left.

Grace jumped as Jerry grinned at her from behind his glasses.

"So _you're_ the newest addition! Grace, was it? Goodness, you're even cuter than Allen said!"

Grace blushed.

"Th-thank you," she replied meekly, and quietly gave him her order.

Grace held her tray, facing the tables uneasily.

Lavi waved to her with an encouraging grin. She slowly made her way to him, sitting next to the red haired Bookman.

She was surrounded by the other exorcists. A young boy with electric blue hair came to her side, beaming up at her.

"I can't believe you stood up to Kanda!" He exclaimed.

"This is Timothy," Lavi offered. "He joined us not too long ago."

Grace smiled weakly.

"It's nice to meet you. I like your gem."

The boy's smile grew impossibly wider.

"You really don't think it's weird?"

She shook her head.

"I was born with tattoos and Innocence in my throat. I can't really judge what's weird."

She tugged down the shirt collar in the back, allowing her tattoos to peek out.

"What do they do?" He asked, breathlessly intrigued.

She smiled and stood.

Jumping high, she soumersaulted in the air and stayed airborne as her wings formed and held her weight. Timothy's jaw dropped.

"You can _fly?!_ " He exclaimed.

Shouts of surprise and turned heads gazed up at the girl in awe.

"It seems she can," Krory confirmed bemusedly.

Grace hovered, trying to answer the bombardment of questions led by Timothy.

"What else can you do? Was it hard, learning how to fly? How high can you go?"

Grace smiled weakly.

"The flying is an...accessory, if you will, to my actual Innocence. It was hard to fly at first. I had to watch birds a lot to be able to will my own wings to work and keep me from falling. As for how high I can go, I'm not sure."

She stared at her hands.

"If I am being honest, there are things that I can do that I don't quite understand how I can do them."

Lavi watched her curiously, faintly noticing the dark, hallow, fearful look she'd gained in her eyes.

As a Bookman, Lavi had learned to school his expressions, the manner in which he observed the world around him, and, in this case, making deductions about the subtlest, simplest tics in humans.

Grace had presented herself to the redhead as an oddity, an enigma, a puzzle for him to piece together. She intrigued him much like Allen did.

But there was something else; something Lavi couldn't quite categorize no matter how much his cunning mind tried.

Well, that was the point of a puzzle, right? To find the answer, to uncover the picture that the puzzle was intended to create?

At any rate, Lavi knew that he liked her; and in what sense was something he needed to find out.

Thus began Lavi's plight to understand Grace, a girl with the voice of a goddess, the fragility of a glass statuette, and the mystique of an uncharted galaxy.


	3. Accustomed

Later on in the afternoon, Grace found herself summoned to appear before Komui. Once there she was met with a team of scientists, all of whom she immediately recognized as the Chief's personal friends.   
  
But there was someone else. He was dressed in a crisp uniform vaguely mirroring Komui's; however, this man had sharp, mercurial silver eyes and a beret atop his thick blonde hair.   
  
"Grace, this is Bak Chang. He is the Asian Branch Chief. I asked him to help design your uniform and with the tests I mentioned earlier."  
   
Grace bowed slightly to the man.   
  
"You're a magician," she stated.   
  
He blinked owlishly.   
  
"Indeed, I am."   
  
Bak glanced at Komui with a quirked eyebrow. The European Chief gave Bak a peculiar look over the rims of his spectacles.  
  
Bak shook his head and faced the girl once more.   
  
"If you'll come this way, Miss Blüdhaven."   
  
She nodded firmly and allowed him to lead her out. His hand politely remained on the small of her back. He was rather short for someone his age; but there was an air surrounding him that showed he was a man to be taken seriously.   
  
"So, miss Blüdhaven, I hear you possess quite a unique array of powers; some of which are very much akin to magic."  
   
He regarded her with sharp, bright, mercury-silver eyes.   
  
Grace did her best to meet his gaze.   
  
"I suppose that you could refer to my abilities as...magical."  
   
His eyebrows rose.   
  
"Oh? Then how do you classify them?"  
  
Grace clenched her jaw. She wasn't going to cry.   
  
"Curses. Useful at times, but curses nonetheless."  
  
He hummed thoughtfully. A small smile danced onto Bak's lips.   
  
"You have a rather...unique outlook on being one of God's Apostles."   
  
She sensed the thinly veiled cynicism in the ending nickname and sneered.   
  
"Did you think I'd be honored and humbled to fight in a war I don't necessarily support with powers I never asked for?"   
  
The Asian Chief barked out a laugh.   
  
"I see your point."  
  
He paused.   
  
"I hope that this isn't taken the wrong way, but you are quite different from what I anticipated."   
  
She offered him a crooked smile.   
  
"I'll take it as a compliment. Different how?"  
  
Bak was quiet for a while, seemingly gathering his thoughts.  
  
"Back when Walker was recovering from his battle with the Noah known as Tyki Mikk, I heard him call out your name in what appeared to be a very intense nightmare."  
Their footsteps seemed too loud for the quiet air that surrounded them, echoing noisily on the stone walls.  
   
"Sometimes, the Lyricist can perceive the voices of people I am close to, no matter the distance. I can hear them in dreams. A scream, a cry, any sort of verbal exchange. Especially if they are in emotional duress or peril. I guess that is her way of mocking me."  
  
Bak was taken aback by the smallness of her voice.   
  
"You refer to your Innocence as if it is a person," he quietly remarked.  
   
Grace's bowed head suddenly shot up. She glared at him with eyes that were not her own; eyes that were quartered by cross-shaped pupils and glittered like polished jade with loathing and outrage.   
  
" _I_ _was_  a person, you goddamned human!"   
  
As if by reflex, Bak snatched the summoning stone from his beret and took a defensive stance. The incantation that would summon his family's guardian deity surfaced on his lips.   
  
But before said incantation could be spoken, her shoulders slumped and the shape of her eyes returned to their former state.  
  
A line of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and eyelids.   
  
"I c-can only hold her back for so long. Chief--"   
  
She coughed, spraying red.   
  
"Knock me out. Find Allen. It's the only way to...!"  
  
He stared at her speechlessly.   
  
"What are you talking about?!"   
  
She fell to the floor, her head smacking on the stone. The girl went limp.  
   
He gaped, unsure if what had just happened had actually been real. He picked her up and carried her back up the steps, breaking into a run.   
  
"Komui? There's a situation. Find Walker and meet me in the hospital ward. Don't give me that, just do it!"   
  
~~····~~  
  
The two Chiefs and exorcist hovered near Grace's unconscious body, now placed on a small hospital bed.  
   
"Will someone please explain what the hell is going on?" Komui said with thinly veiled anger.   
  
Bak scowled.   
  
"I already told you. We were walking down to Hevlaaska's and all of a sudden she snapped at me. It was like--"  
  
"Like she was possessed?"  
  
Komui and Bak turned to Allen. He'd taken a seat next to Grace's cot, holding her hand gently. His silver eyes were downcast with sorrow.  
   
"You wouldn't be far off to make that assumption. Grace doesn't really tell many people about this; I imagine because she doesn't quite understand it herself."   
  
Allen clutched her hand tighter as Grace whimpered in her sleep, face scrunching up in pain.  
   
"Like she said, the Lyricist isn't just a title for her Innocence. From what little she told me, and from what I heard she told our Master, the Lyricist was a person once. And Grace became the unfortunate host after the Lyricist died."  
  
"Are you saying that this Lyricist was a Noah?"   
  
Allen shook his head.   
  
"No, not that's not quite it. She was something else. I think Grace called her...a Nephilim. An angel that fell from heaven."  
  
"You're kidding. Those kinds of creatures are supposed to be biblical myths," Bak pointed out.   
  
"So were the Noah. And yet here we are," Allen replied.   
  
He paused.  
  
"Like a Noah, the Lyricist could pass on her memories to a new body. But that person had to be special. If any random human was chosen, they'd likely die instantly. It had to be someone with preexisting ties to God."   
  
"And since Grace is also an Accommodator of Innocence..." Komui trailed off, an expression of grim understanding settling on his face.   
  
"She was the logical choice," Allen finished.   
  
"There's still something that doesn't make sense. If this Lyricist isn't an actual Noah, why does she have so much hatred for humans? Why would she attack?"  
  
Allen sighed.   
  
"I don't know. I suppose the only one who knows the answer to that is the Lyricist herself."  
  
Komui cast a look upon the fitfully slumbering Grace.   
  
"Let's keep this silent. I don't need to give Director Lveielle another reason to..." He trailed off, shaking his head.  
  
Bak seemed to understand somehow, his eyes narrowing.  
  
Allen nodded, masking his confusion.   
  
"I suppose we will have to hold off on the party and everything for now."   
  
Komui left, seemingly trying to school his expression as he disappeared from view.   
  
Bak lingered at the door.   
  
"Will she be alright, Walker?"  
  
Allen was quiet.   
  
Bak watched the Crown Clown for a moment. There seemed to be some sort of deeper bond between Allen and the girl, one that transcended the relationships he had with others.   
The Asian Chief silently took his leave, deciding that that conclusion was the only answer he'd get for now.   
But something still bugged him.   
  
The girl seemed to be able to psychologically suppress the Lyricist with some sort of will.   
  
That was almost impossible in the case of a host of a Noah; such willpower only lasted so long before the host was erased forever by the Noah.   
  
From what Bak understood, this Lyricist had been present since the girl's childhood as a pupil of General Cross.   
  
How had "Grace" been able to survive for this long? How had that person managed to maintain her individuality against such a being like the Lyricist?  
  
These were questions he didn't dare ask the girl. She'd been exceedingly reluctant to reveal the small amount of information she had to him; it obviously wasn't a topic she commonly discussed, nor did she seem to like to.   
  
Bak's curiosity really was getting the best of him.  
  
But common sense was putting up a fight as well.   
  
~~····~~  
  
Grace sluggishly awoke to Allen's sleeping head at her side. It appeared that she'd been taken to the hospital wing, and someone had summoned Allen to be by her side.   
She smiled fondly, her eyes hallow.   
  
He didn't have to stay with her for so long.   
  
Grace knew that he'd chosen to, though.   
  
She sat up slowly, hissing at the painful pounding of a headache against her skull.   
Her hands gripped the thin sheets tightly.  
  
As if she needed to look any weaker than she knew people already said she was.  
  
A half-laugh, half-sob bubbled in Grace's throat.   
  
Soon, her shoulders shook in the effort to quiet her own weeping.   
  
Allen sat up, roused from slumber by the muffled noise of Grace's tears landing on the blanket.   
  
He gazed at her sadly, scooting closer to ease her into a hug.   
  
She clung to his coat, sobbing into the coarse fabric.   
  
"I didn't mean to let her out. I didn't..!" Her muffled voice desperately claimed.   
  
"I know you didn't. Chief Bak is okay. Neither she nor you hurt him. You're safe now, okay?" He murmured gently.   
  
"It isn't your fault. These kinds of things just happen."  
  
Grace trembled in Allen's arms.  
  
"I'm sorry, Allen. I only cause trouble for you."  
  
The Crown Clown shook his head vehemently.   
  
"There's nothing you need to apologize for. It's my job to help those in trouble, and that includes you. As long as you'll let me, I'll be here for you. Remember?"  
She nodded mutely.   
  
All of a sudden, two hungry stomachs grumbled in unison.  
  
Grace and Allen shared quiet snickers. As Parasitic types, their appetites seemed to have minds of their own.  
   
"Are you up to visiting the cafeteria?"   
  
She hummed in affirmation.   
  
"I'll have to be quick. I don't want to get on the nurse's bad side so soon."  
  
Allen laughed.  
  
"I'll vouch for you. She's used to me leaving to grab food."  
  
Allen guided Grace to the cafeteria, her arm looped through his. She held onto him, partially from uneasiness and also from the persistent headache.  
   
Suddenly, a golden mass barreled into Grace's shoulder. It fluttered around her head, its revealed mouth scowling.  
  
"Wha-? Timcanpy? Way to scare me!" Grace exclaimed.   
  
"Where have you been?!" Allen demanded of the golem.   
  
The golem danced in the air, flapping his wings as if telling them to follow him.   
  
The two shared a look, but followed Timcanpy until they burst through the doors of the dining hall.  
  
They were faced with a chorus of greetings and cheers. A large banner hung from above, hastily painted with the words:  _Welcome, Grace_ _Bludhaven_ _!  
_  
Heaping platters of various foods were spread across several long tables that had been pushed together. The crowd consisted mostly of scientists, easy to spot from their disheveled appearances and lab coats, as well as a few Finders. All the resident exorcists were present; even the very much reluctant Kanda, who stood off to the side, his arms folded to match a terse frown. Grace was frozen in place, utterly dumbstruck by the display. Allen grinned at her.   
  
"To be honest, I thought they were going to save the party for tomorrow. Sorry I didn't tell you; we wanted for this to be a surprise."  
  
He recoiled at the sight of tears streaming freely down her cheeks. The chatter died down as Grace's demeanor was noticed.  
   
"Grace? What's wrong? If it is too much, we can--"   
  
The dark haired girl laughed through a sob. She beamed at Allen, wiping at her face with his offered handkerchief.   
  
"I have always hated parties, Allen. Even so," Grace sniffled.   
  
"I think, for this, I can make an exception."   
  
"Truthfully, most of the credit goes to Allen. He was the one who helped bring everything together," Lenalee admitted, smiling at the Crown Clown.  
   
Allen scratched the bridge of his nose, laughing sheepishly, a crooked grin on his lips.  
   
Grace gave him a watery smile as she hugged him tightly, hiding her tears on his chest.   
  
"Thank you, Allen," she cried, her gratefulness muffled in his coat.   
  
He patted her on the back.  
  
"No need to thank me. You're part of this family now."  
   
Grace was silent. She mouthed the word thoughtfully.   
  
Family.  
  
When was it that she'd last heard that word?  
  
Was it...Mama?  
  
Anaïs. Yes. That had to be it. She wasn't actually Grace's mother by blood; but she was the closest person to a mother Grace had ever had.   
  
And, upon further reflection, Allen was as dear to her as a brother.   
  
Could these people really see Grace as more than a comrade-in-arms in the unrelenting crusade in which they were so entangled in? Was such a bond truly possible?   
Grace did not hold the answers to said questions, nor was she certain of the likelihood of them receiving answers.  
   
A thought occurred to Grace as she was guided to the festivities: perhaps the solutions could be reached here. While she wasn't too keen on the founding principles of the Black Order, nor the methods in which they applied for the sake of the war, Grace wagered that donning their coat and feigning their ideologies was her best bet, being who she was.   
A dry laugh echoed through her mind; one of which Grace had not actively made.   
  
Grace felt a queasiness fray her nerves.   
  
 _The woman_ was back. Her presence was clawing at Grace's mind, a ravenous creature imprisoned by spells and psychic walls.   
  
But those barricades were beginning to weaken.  
  
"Not now," Grace mumbled miserably.   
  
Allen turned to her, a skewer of mitarashi dango halted in its path to his mouth.   
  
"What's wrong?" He asked through chipmunk-like cheeks bulging with food.   
  
She smiled fondly, wiping her handkerchief at his mouth.  
  
"It's nothing, Allen. Nothing at all." 


End file.
